Her Rival
by Casual One
Summary: The first time she met him, he moved into Celestic Town. The first time he met her, she was in her twenties.


Her Rival

By Casual One

Disclaimer: Casual One does not own Pokemon.

XXX

The first time she saw him, he moved into her hometown. Though she wouldn't understand until a few years later why anyone would move into a place like Celestic Town, her ten year old self was deeply curious as to the arrival of a new family. Her town was small compared to the new cities that are constantly expanding and while they have an old and proud history in Sinnoh, it only attracts tourists, not permanent visitors.

News in her town spread quickly, the close-knit community contributing to the rumor mills with a speed akin to Ninjask. In a day, at least half of the community knows that someone is moving into one of the abandoned houses.

That was how Cynthia learned of the new arrivals and were among the few people mixed into the crowd that were watching the truck get unloaded by a handful of Machokes. She searched around for the family. It was exciting to have permanent residents.

She moved around the crowd, her tiny form allowing an easier time to move about unnoticed. When she finally reached the front of the crowd, she saw what could only be the newcomers talking to the nearby townspeople. Her feet moved unconsciously closer. She glanced at a child that looked around her age before switching to what could only be his mother.

The child had charcoal black hair and none-assuming amber brown eyes. At first glance, he looks...average. He didn't look at all like someone that one could pick out in a crowd. The same could be said for the mother as well. While she had an astonishing motherly feel, it wasn't something special.

Cynthia frowned. She was a bit disappointed at her new neighbors. With the way that her grandmother and a bunch of her friends spoke of them, she expected something more. What she found instead didn't satisfy her curiosity at all. She anticipated for weeks what the family would be like.

How many kids do they have?

Do they like Pokémon?

Do they _have_ Pokémon?

From what she saw, there's only a mother and a child. They seem to have no Pokémon and while they might like Pokémon, _everyone_ likes Pokémon.

With her expectations crushed, she left, her child-like mind moving onto new things.

One such example being her up-coming Pokémon journey.

XXX

The second time she saw him; it was at the gates that exit Celestic Town. She had recently said farewell to her younger sister and grandmother before returning her first Pokémon, Gible, into her Pokeball. She was equal parts excited and equal parts nervous. She's finally earned her independence and with Gible by her side, she can't wait to explore the rest of Sinnoh.

It was getting a little boring in the small home she calls Celestic Town.

That was where she found him. His recognizable black hair flowed as the breeze gently moved through the gate, a red jacket covering his frame along with some snug blue jeans and tennis shoes. Along with his backpack, he looked like an average ten year old kid going to school...

Except that he wasn't. The first things she noticed other than his new appearance was the small, yellow Pikachu perched atop his shoulder.

It immediately clued her in on what he's doing here. Her eyes widened before a small smile graced her lips. She thought she was the only one this year going on her Pokémon journey and while that isn't an uncommon occurrence in a town like Celestic, it was a bit disappointing to be the only one to leave her home.

Though that became moot at his appearance and while a Pikachu is an unorthodox starter Pokémon - Chimchar, Piplup, and Turtwig being the most common in Sinnoh - she can't really complain since she chose Gible. However, out of all the Pokémon, why choose Pikachu? While she acknowledges that all Pokémon are strong in their own way, Pikachu isn't what she would call powerful.

It seems that her presence was finally noticed when the Pikachu's ears started twitching before looking towards her direction. Spotting the Sinnoh native, the electric mouse nudged towards his trainer. The boy moved towards Pikachu, their conversation too quiet for her ears to reach before walking towards her.

"Hello," the boy said lazily, an arm rising as if waving. He had a small smile plastered on his face as he moved closer, "I believe we haven't met. The name's Red, Red Satoshi."

Cynthia raised an eyebrow at the name. Who names their child Red? When he moved closer, he raised his arms for a handshake. She reciprocated, "It's nice to meet you. My name is Cynthia Shirona."

"Cynthia," the boy drawled, as if tasting the name. There was an emotion in his voice that she couldn't identify. "I assume that you are going on your journey as well?"

"Yes," Cynthia responded. It seems she wasn't the only one to connect the pieces. "I'll be collecting the required amount of badges to participate in the league."

The boy wasn't shocked. In fact, it looked like he expected the answer. She was slightly confused at that. The only ones that know of her goal was her family and they certainly wouldn't tell it to a few strangers that recently moved into Celestic Town.

Seeing her look, the boy shrugged, "You're not the only one. It's a common goal." The boy pointed at himself, "In fact, I'm here to collect a few gym badges myself."

She nodded in acceptance. It _is_ a common goal now that she thought about it. "Fair enough." She peered at the Pikachu that was observing them. "So that's a Pikachu? I've never seen one in real life."

He glanced at his Pikachu before sending one of the most genuine smiles that Cynthia's ever seen. "Yep," he replied, "he's been with me for a long time. There's no one else I want for a partner."

Cynthia was surprised at the passion in his voice. It almost made her jealous of their relationship when she saw both look at each other with a type of camaraderie only seen in veteran Pokémon trainers. Her bond with Gible wasn't that strong. She wondered if she did anything wrong while raising her. He stared back at her, noticing the Pokeball in belt. "What Pokémon do you have?" he asked, noticing that she wouldn't talk.

Cynthia blinked before releasing hers. "I have Gible," she smiled. While the trust between them isn't as strong as Red and Pikachu, she was still confident and proud of her Pokémon.

"Gible, huh?" Red murmured, his eyes widening before a small smirk bloomed on his face. His hand reached down to pat her. Cynthia was slightly surprised by such an action. Her Gible usually doesn't allow just _anyone_ to touch her, yet this boy seems to be able to pet her no problem. "It's a good Pokémon to start off with."

Cynthia nodded. There's no other Pokémon she would rather have. "Yep, she's the best. No other Pokémon compares to my Gible, isn't that right?" she asks, the last part directed to the small dragon type. She got a loud ' _Gible!_ ' in response.

They've talked a bit more. To Cynthia's surprise it was easy to talk to the new trainer. While she had first doubted the knowledge of Pokemon that he had, he quickly swept that notion away. He speaks as if from experience yet Cynthia knew that was impossible. Someone as green as him can't. It was just not implausible.

Red looked at the time on his watch before looking up at the sky. "Huh, I guess we should go. We don't want to start our Pokémon journey on a sour note." Red waved his arm before turning his back. "See ya, Cynthia. Maybe when we meet each other, it'd be on the battlefield, yeah?"

Cynthia nodded. It's probably for the best. The closest Pokemon Center is a few miles ahead and wasting time would be detrimental on the first day. "Yeah, see you."

He waved farewell one more time before sprinting off, Pikachu obediently following.

'Well that wasn't what I was expecting for my first day.' Cynthia mused before strolling forward as well.

XXX

The third time she met him, she was leaving after obtaining her first gym. It was extremely difficult despite Gible having several effective moves against rock types. She traveled all the way to Oreburgh City to face off against the Rock-Type Gym, expecting a fairly challenging battle. She captured new Pokemon, some of them being very effective against this gym's Pokemon.

What she got instead was an extremely close battle that she only won because of luck and the willpower of her Gible.

Her Eevee got knocked out first though she expected that at least. She even defeated the tough Graveler with her Budew. That's when things went downhill fast. Budew lost against the sheer force of the gym leader's Onix. Gible did finish him off and a battle of attrition started between the dragon type and Cranidos, but out of sheer luck and determination, she barely got through in the end.

Overall, she may have won the badge, but it was a shallow victory. She didn't feel any satisfaction earning this badge. How did she expect to become the Champion of Sinnoh if she can barely beat her first gym? How embarrassing!

She promised herself that she would become better. Training is an absolute must! Creating new strategies as well. The rock-type gym leader utilized several strategies to make up for his weaknesses and it worked. Perhaps she should try the same thin-

"Umph!" a familiar voice grunted as both trainers bumped into each other, one from being lost in thought while the other in a mindless rush. "Oh god! Sorry are you alr-Cynthia?!"

"Red?" she asked as she scanned the trainer before her. She saw familiar amber brown eyes staring at her. The boy blinked before smiling.

"Cynthia, it really is you!" Red smirked. "How long has it been since we've last seen each other? A few weeks at the very least."

She nodded. It has been a while since they both separated. She looked at his shoulder to see another familiar face. "It's nice to see you, Red. I see that Pikachu is as healthy as ever."

He nodded, "Mhm, we've been through some exciting stuff ever since we separated. I've even caught some new Pokemon." he looked curiously at the badge she was holding in her hands. "Is that what I think it is?"

She saw him point at the Coal Badge. She frowned slightly before nodding. "Yes, it's a gym badge, my first one."

"Nice," he replied before scratching his cheeks. "I still haven't gotten my first badge yet. I was busy exploring Sinnoh, there's so many things to see."

She wholeheartedly agreed. Sinnoh truly is an amazing place. "Are you getting your first badge in Oreburgh?" she asked and when she saw him nod, she continued, "Be careful, the gym is trickier than I first thought."

'I almost lost, after all.' she thought but didn't say.

His grin only grew bigger at her warning. "Even better then. I always like a challenge."

Cynthia looked at his expression. His smile was borderline cocky and arrogant. She was slightly disappointed at his overconfidence. From their last conversation, she kind of expected him to take gym battles a bit more seriously. Exploring Sinnoh for a few weeks made him too arrogant on his abilities.

Red seemed to have read the expression on her face because he immediately offered her to watch his gym battle. Cynthia accepted easily enough. It would be rude to decline and she was genuinely curious on Red's outcome in the battle. She wouldn't deny that she wanted to see why he seemed so confident in his battling skills.

Both entered at the same time and saw the gym leader's assistant currently feeding the Pokemon. When he both saw us, Red stepped forward and asked for an official gym battle. The man nodded before going to fetch said gym leader.

When he arrived, the man looked at Red before switching to Cynthia, "Oh?" the old man boomed, "If it isn't the little laddie. Comin' back for more, eh? Well, I can't say that's ever happened before."

Cynthia blushed in embarrassment. The gym leader probably knew that she won because of luck and he wasn't exactly subtle about it either.

Red just stared at the man, smiling. He moved in front of Cynthia, taking the old miner's attention. "Hello sir, I believe that I will be the one challenging you for the Coal Badge."

The old man grunted, "All you little ones are the same. No small talk, just battling. Bah!" he waved his hands, "fine, but be warned kid, I won't go easy on ya."

"It's fine by me." Red responded, his hands already grabbing a Pokeball. Now that Cynthia thought about, he's never told her any of his new Pokemon. He gave a predatory smile before continuing, "though I understand if you want to take it slow. I heard that old age could do that to people."

"Bah! We've got a smartass over here." the man traded back. "We'll see how mouthy you are after this battle, brat!"

"Graveler!"

"Starly."

The battle started without further notice.

It wasn't anything she expected.

When she saw Red's Starly, she already knew that he lost. Graveler was stronger, had a type advantage, and could defend itself against almost all of Starly's moves. Unless Red had a type effective against rock-types, he doesn't have a chance.

That was her first impression.

However, there's a saying that Cynthia forgot. Don't judge a book by its cover.

The battle started off with a sort of swiftness that made Cynthia blink. A hail of rocks were already descending the battle, Graveler effectively using multiple Rock Throws to end the small bird Pokemon. Starly responded to the show of power with speed. Cynthia had never seen a Pokemon gracefully dodge such overwhelming numbers.

It was speed fighting defense, a lightweight battling a heavyweight. It seems Red is depending on Starly's evasive skill to beat Graveler. However, how can he beat an opponent that he can't hurt?

The Rock Throws ended and with that a new wave of confrontations started. The gym leader was planning something, only utilizing Defense Curls and an occasional Rock Throw to aggravate the Starly.

Red doesn't seem to mind. In fact, a small smile sprouted onto his face. He responded with a simple, "Agility."

If Starly wasn't fast before, he was now. In a blink of an eye the Starly's graceful movements only seemed to go faster like a scene fast forwarding on TV.

"Let's go on the offensive, Starly," Red exclaimed his arms moving in a grandiose fashion. Starly as if sensing Red's plan nodded before diving down with speed Cynthia's never seen before. It only occurred to her later that Starly's combined Quick Attack and Agility only made the frighteningly fast bird _even faster._

The gym leader only smiled, "Ha! I gotcha' now brat! Smack Down!" Graveler moved his hands ready for intercepting.

"Double Team." Red replied. From one to a dozen, clones of the bird raced towards the living rock. Then as if an afterthought, though Cynthia doubted it, "Wing Attack!"

With no time at all both forces collided. Smoke and debris rained upon the battlefield as Graveler tried to grab the closest Starly while the real one smashed the rock type with the combined force of his attack.

When the debris and dust rolled out, Cynthia was shocked to see an injured Graveler. There was no way a flying and normal type move could do such damage. She glanced towards the Starly and noticed how the bird flew a little lower and his movements more sluggish. She frowned in confusion before looking at the injured wing.

'The momentum. Red only did as much damage as he did because of the combined speed adding to the damage of his Wing Attack.' Cynthia realized, 'He basically created a Take Down. Smart,' she acknowledged, 'but risky.'

"Are you okay, Starly?" Red asked worryingly. When Starly nodded, Red smiled, "Good, let's keep up the momentum. Starly, Agility!"

"I'm not gonna' lie kid, it was smart move." the gym leader responded, "but it'll help me in the end. I know what to expect. Graveler, Rock Throw."

The entire battle became pandemonium. Both sides battled with such force and wit that the entire battlefield was being scarred by their conflict. In the end, Starly and Graveler fell from their wounds.

"Turtwig."

"Onix!"

To Cynthia, the fast-paced action from the last battle seemed to have transferred here. They both battled with such ferocity that even when both Pokemon were wounded, they kept getting up for more. Absorbs were constantly used, Red's response to keep Turtwig in battle against Onix's bulk being effective.

While Turtwig isn't as fast as Starly, it was still agile enough to move around Onix. An advantage that Red exploited repeatedly.

Yet, despite Turtwig's good speed, it can't dodge everything. A powerful Iron Tail ended Red's momentum and started the gym leader's counterattack. He rained attacks upon attacks on the injured Turtwig, each hit slamming against the grass-type with the force of an explosive bombardment. Even with Turtwig's efforts he fainted.

"Pikachu, you're up."

Now why would you choose Pikachu? A fragile Pokemon like that has no chance against Onix. Not only that, he gym leader still has one active Pokemon that is without a doubt Cranidos. Red and Cynthia met eye contact and to her disbelief, gave a small wave. He's still confident in his victory.

And when Cynthia saw Red's Pikachu in battle, she could see why.

Pikachu fought like a dragon using Outrage. A literal demon in hell. He outpaced, outsmarted, and _overpowered_ the Onix with such finesse that it even made the gym leader silent. To summarize it, he's beaten Onix to submission without breaking a sweat.

"Cranidos!" The Fossil Pokemon roared in challenge. His head pointed towards Pikachu and with impressive speed, moved to smash into Pikachu. The electric-type dodged the Headbutt with ease and responded with a Thunderbolt powered Electro Ball. The attack raced towards the young Cranidos. The speed of such attack was too quick for the fossil to move effectively and it pummeled through the rock-type Pokemon.

Yet, despite the barrage of attacks Pikachu dealt, Cranidos rose. Determination flared in the Pokémon's eyes. The battle began anew.

Cynthia's never seen such brutal attacks. Every hit sent the young fossil Pokemon flying back, yet he always brings himself back up. It's passing the point where a battle is just a battle. If the rock-type doesn't stay down soon it might leave permanent damage.

Red seemed to realize it too since he gave a rare frown after a deceptively weak Quick Attack plowed through the Cranidos. "Pikachu, let's finish this. Combine Iron Tail and Electro Ball. Take him down."

Pikachu moved to obey the commands. His speed more than enough to cross the distance. Cranidos responded with one more Headbutt. The resulting explosion blew the Cranidos out of the field, yet despite the damage it sustained it continued to go back up.

Red's frown became more prominent. He looked towards the gym leader. "Return him." The trainer pointed at Cranidos. "If we do anymore, I don't think he'll be getting up _at all._ "

The gym leader was silent. Then with a sigh, he grabbed a Pokeball from his belt and pointed it at Cranidos. "Kid's got a point." he apologized to the heartbroken Pokemon. "Ret-" before he could utter out the word, there was a blinding flash of light.

Everyone was silent. Even Red, who Cynthia believed could hide his surprise well was widening his eyes with awe.

Cranidos was no more.

Rampardos roared.

"Pikachu!" Red exclaimed, the electric mouse nodded before dodging a well-timed Take Down.

Cynthia's seen Pokemon evolution before. In Celestic Town, being with the professors there allowed her to see them a few times. However, she's never seen such power behind a newly evolved Pokemon. She almost shivered at the thought of facing Rampardos. Thank goodness she fought Cranidos or she never would have won that badge.

Rampardos was smashing his way to Pikachu. Any rocks or _boulders_ in his way only slowed him down. The fossil Pokemon moved like a Bulldozer and it was in hot pursuit. Pikachu's surprise finally wore off though not without a few scratches. The electric-type moved, an Electro Ball already forming.

"End this!"

"Pika!"

 _ **BOOM!**_

Silence.

"..." Cynthia held her breath.

A body dropped to the ground.

"Rampardos is unable to battle. That means Red from Celestic Town is the winner!"

She let it go. She gave a big sigh of relief before staring at Red. She's never seen battling at such a level before. Tactics, combinations, and skills that she never thought possible. It was _thrilling_ and she wanted to do the things that she saw in this gym battle. Already, her mind is swimming with different combinations that her Gible could probably use. She'll test all of this during training.

XXX

"You got the Coal Badge now," Cynthia stated, her eyes scanning an identical badge to her own. Red smiled before nodding. They were both at the Pokemon Center, getting all of their Pokemon checked by Nurse Joy. They currently sat at one of the tables that the building offered, eating to their heart's content.

"Mhm," Red hummed. Taking a mouthful of food before swallowing, he continued, "I didn't expect Cranidos to evolve. The battle might've gone differently if I faced it off in its healthy state."

Yeah, no kidding. That Pokemon was blasting through solid rock like it was nothing. It was only through Pikachu's efforts did they have a chance of winning.

Speaking of which...

"How did your Pikachu get so strong?" Cynthia asked bluntly. They both started their journey at the same time and if she didn't know better, she might've thought that Pikachu belonged to a veteran Pokemon trainer.

"I've trained my Pikachu ever since I've got it." Red replied cheekily, "and no it wasn't from Celestic Town. He's been with me before we've moved."

Cynthia nodded. It made sense. They probably were together far longer than she was with Gible. Still..."Your Pikachu cannot be that strong even with a few years of training."

"My Pikachu is special." was his only response and before she could question it further, Nurse Joy came out of the emergency room with both of their Pokemon in tow.

"Pikachu, Turtwig, Starly!" Red stood up and ran towards his Pokemon, "you guys feeling better?" All responded with their respective calls.

"How about you guys?" Cynthia asked hers. They all nodded in affirmative. "That's good." Cynthia thought back to her battle then remembered Red's. "Because we got a lot of work to do. We'll be training non-stop."

If she wanted to beat the Sinnoh League, she'll need to.

They both moved out of the Pokemon Center after finishing up their meal and feeding their Pokemon respectively. When they went towards the exit of Oreburgh City, she couldn't help but ask, "So, Red, which gym will you be going next?"

"Eterna City," he said, "I heard it's a grass-type gym."

She nodded; she was planning on facing that gym later. "I would probably be training for a little while. After seeing that battle, I realize that I need to work on strategy." Cynthia blushed in embarrassment. "My first gym battle wasn't as easy as I would have liked."

"That's the purpose of gyms," Red commented. "It's meant to challenge trainers."

"Yeah, but I won with luck." she drooped slightly. "I wanted my wins to be assured, to know that it was through effort and skill. After seeing yours, my achievement seem a little lackluster."

"Well, that's what rivals are for." he replied, "to measure ourselves against one another. If you don't like what you are right now, then it's your job to change it."

Cynthia paused momentarily. She stared at Red's confused face intently. "You consider me a rival?"

With her words, Red blushed in embarrassment. "Ah, I didn't mean to assume. I just thought that since we were in the same town and we keep meeting each other..."

Cynthia's face heated up before shaking her head. It should have been obvious. "No, it's fine. It was just unexpected."

A rival, someone to compare with and hopefully surpass. That sounded nice. Red considers her one so he obviously compares himself to her. Though why anyone would do that, she just didn't know.

As if sensing her thoughts, Red faced towards her, "Cynthia, any trainer worth their salt would love to have someone like you as a rival."

Cynthia smiled. She could sense the genuineness in his words. "Thank you." she responded. She truly meant it too. She could honestly say that she's made her first friend in this journey outside of her Pokemon.

They've talked a bit more, both of them more comfortable around each other. Cynthia was enjoying her time. The feeling of talking to someone her age that is also just as knowledgeable is refreshing. Before long, both had to depart or have the risk of being late.

'Time flies when you're having fun.' Cynthia mused. She was already moving to the next town, though she plans to start training as soon as possible. Incorporating strategy and tactics is a brilliant idea. She already has ideas rushing through her mind, however figuring out which one would work would be the hard part.

XXX

A year has passed. Both Red and Cynthia still meet each other sporadically throughout their journey. Their greetings ranging from finding the other before, after, or in the gym to just coincidentally finding the other in a forest or trail. Cynthia has been training non-stop, her victory's becoming more spectacular and assured. To them their goals were only a Pokemon League away.

They've battled anything that came their way, even each other. Such determination can only be noticed and by the time they both gained their fifth gym badge, they've gained a tentative and small following. Neither noticed.

Exploring and hunting gym badges however took a long time. When they've gained their sixth gym badge the year already ended and so did the Sinnoh Pokemon League. Luckily, they've got enough time for next year's Pokemon League and with only two more badges they could spend the extra days training.

That's exactly what Cynthia was doing. Her Gabite was doing exceptionally well, it rarely lost a single battle and the losses that she did have, she quickly learned from.

Then there were her battles with Red. She's never been pushed to the limits the way Red does with her. Their battles were the most _exhilarating._ From victory to loss, it was a pendulum. When she obtained a victory over Red, he would surprise her in their next bout and find a way to beat her.

It was frustrating, yet calming. Thrilling, but exhausting. Competitive, but still friendly.

She loved it.

From every battle to every departure, she couldn't wait for their next confrontation.

"Hey!"

Her thoughts were disrupted however by a familiar sound. She glanced towards the sound to see two of her 'new' rivals. From the familiar duo of blonde and red hair, she saw what could only be Flint and Volkner. She met them during her stay in Hearthome City. She recently won the Relic Badge and was challenged by Flint to a Pokemon battle.

The boy was cocky as well and when she remembered Red's expression, she didn't hold back against the red haired trainer. That was a good choice.

Flint and Cynthia's battle was chaos. Both had powerful Pokemon, yet each one fainted like flies. The burning strength of Flint's Monferno had easily caused discord among Cynthia's Pokemon. However, Cynthia's Gabite heavily damaged most of his, the dragon's monstrous strength spreading fear among them. Flint learned to be wary of Gabite that day.

Even after the battle, Flint never seemed to go down for long. He immediately proclaimed that she was officially his 'rival' and to Cynthia, things went downhill from there.

"Flint. Volkner." she greeted. "What are you two doing here?"

As in the cold, freezing place known as Snowpoint City. Cynthia resorted to wearing an exceptionally thick dark grey jacket with some equally thick boots. Volkner seemed to have the right mind to also mimic her type of clothing though Flint only wore a long-sleeve sweater, jeans, and tennis shoes. How he could move around the city without shivering is anyone's guest.

"C'mon now, Cynthia is that how you greet a fellow rival and trainer?" Flint responded, feigning insult. Volkner only shook his head at his friend's antics before turning towards Cynthia.

"We're here to get our seventh gym badge." he supplied helpfully. Flint gave a betrayed. Volkner ignored it before continuing, "Are you here for your seventh badge as well?"

"You guessed right." Cynthia nodded. "Snowpoint City is an ice-type gym. I'm still thinking of a way to counter her ice-type moves against my Gabite."

"Unlike you, I'm completely ready." Flint pumped his fist in the air. "My Monferno is the perfect counter against them."

"Type advantage isn't everything." Cynthia replied. She should know, Red's Pikachu forcefully shoved that perspective out of her mind. She briefly wondered if Red would be showing up too or if he already obtained the Icicle Badge before switching her attention to the duo. "I'm sure that as gym leaders, they would have counters against their weaknesses."

Volkner and his Pikachu (Cynthia immediately had to reassess if Pikachu was actually a common starter when they met) nodded before looking towards their friend. "She's right. Unlike some trainers, what really makes gym leaders challenging is their experience."

"Look guys," Flint easily interrupted, "you both have seen how strong Monferno is. We've surely faced challenges harder than this. Monferno's not going to go down from ice-types, that'd be ridiculous."

Cynthia doubted it, but what does she know. It's not like she's seen what kind of training they've done anyways.

XXX

"Monferno is unable to battle! The victory goes to the gym leader of Snowpoint City!"

"What!"

"Told him." Cynthia muttered.

Volkner sighed.

XXX

"I can't believe it!" Flint exclaimed. "How could I lose?! I had type advantages and everything!"

"Perhaps it's because of the fact that none of your Pokemon could move around on ice." Cynthia wondered out loud. Watching Flint's battle was a major boon. Now that she's seen the environment and the type of Pokemon that the gym uses, she could properly make a strategy to beat them. Perhaps she could train her Pokemon to move around the ice. It could make them move faster in their gym battle.

"Yeah," Volkner agreed, "they kept slipping."

"That and you kept focusing on brute force. Your attempts at hitting them with your Flamethrowers while on literal _ice_ was not a smart move."

"Don't forget that their Pokemon can move around much more freely. They've had much more _experience_ battling on ice than yours."

Every answer only made Flint sulk even more before he went down on his knees. "Jeez guys, give me a break here. I can't be that bad."

"You were." Volkner replied with lightning speed. "Now if you would excuse me, I am actually going to _train_ my Pokemon how to _skate._ " It seemed Cynthia wasn't the only one that noticed that little detail.

"What?!" Flint barked, before staring at Volkner's already departing form. "Hey, wait up!" The boy ran, pausing briefly to turn towards Cynthia. "Oh, uh it was nice meeting you again!"

Cynthia numbly waved farewell as well. Their display of friendship was odd, but some bonds are like that. Eccentric. Now the only thing she needs to do now is figure out how to beat the ice gym...

XXX

Cynthia met Red once again after she obtained her eighth gym badge. While the last two gyms were by far the strongest that she's ever fought, she inevitably surpassed them. Now, she just has to wait for the Pokemon League to be announced and she would be all set. She was both excited and nervous. Nervous in that it will be the first Pokemon League that she will ever fight in, but excited because it will be a step closer to reaching her true goal.

She is currently residing in the outskirts of Sunyshore City, training her Pokemon. She was confident in them. She knew that each of her Pokemon would be ready by the time the Pokemon League turns its head. Yet, one thing that Red taught her was that training is usually never a bad thing and with all this time, she could effectively use it to help better her chances.

"Glaceon, Togetic, Riolu come on out!" Cynthia threw three Pokeballs, the respective Pokemon coming out. Right now, the main problem is to train some of them to be more accustomed to battle. While Glaceon is a veteran in battle, her evolution at Snowpoint City forced Cynthia to change her usual battling style. Togetic and Riolu just aren't that experienced compared to her other Pokemon.

"We've got a bunch of things to work on before we could successfully face the Lily of the Valley Conference," she told them. The three nodded, signaling her to continue. She smiled, "We're going to work on fixing some of those today."

And so a few hours they worked, Riolu and Togetic tried their hardest to test the things Cynthia instructed. Meanwhile Cynthia and Glaceon are currently trying some new moves that Glaceon learned after her evolution. It was during the end of the third hour did she hear explosions coming from a small part of the forest on the edge of Sunyshore.

Curious, she moved toward the sound, her Pokemon in tow.

What she found surprised her.

The first thing she noticed was Red. Judging from the environment and his state of clothing, he was training. Probably for the Lily of the Valley Conference, no doubt. What type of training? Well...

The entire field was wet, which could be accounted by Buizel that Red sent out. Not only that but Pikachu was currently on the field as well, showing Buizel a perfectly executed Counter Shield, a move Red showed Cynthia during one of their meetings. Judging by the fact that Buizel's attention was solely on Pikachu, it looked like Red was trying to teach the water-type how to use his own version of Counter Shield.

"Keep it up Buizel! Aqua Jet and Water Gun, one more time!" Red ordered. Buizel nodded, leaping into the air, before swirling around in a torrent of clear, powerful stream of water. Red seemed to smile a bit wider. "Yes! You're doing it, Buizel, just a little more!"

Just when Cynthia thought that he was going to succeed, the water-type's stream became more sporadic, the sturdy stream becoming nothing more than puddles on the grass as Buizel stopped moving. Red grimaced, rushing forward to see the state of his dizzy and confused water Pokemon.

"Is your Buizel okay?" Cynthia moved as well. Now was a good time to show herself. She didn't want to look like a creep in front of her rival. Red turned towards her, the small widening of his eyes being a telltale sign of surprise easily discerned by Cynthia.

"Yeah." Red answered before frowning worryingly at Buizel. "I was just training Buizel. I thought the Counter Shield might be useful for Buizel. He's just not used to the constant spinning that it requires."

"You have a few months." Cynthia supplied. "By the time conference shows up, Buizel would be ready in no time." Hopefully anyways. While she's only dabbled when it comes to the Counter Shield technique, utilizing Glaceon and her Ice Beam, she is far from completing it.

"Hopefully," he unknowingly mimicked her thoughts. He smiled slightly. "Are you training as well, Cynthia?"

"Yes," she nodded. It wouldn't do for her rival to be stronger than. "I was hoping on training these three for today." Cynthia pointed at the three Pokemon with her. They seemed to have spread out and are now enjoying the company of Red's Pokemon.

"Riolu, Togetic, and...Glaceon?" Red raised an eyebrow before chuckling. "I see Eevee finally evolved. How'd that happen?"

"It happened in Snowpoint City. It must have been one of the stones nearby," she answered. Eevee's evolution was a happy surprise and definitely helped when it came to the last two gyms.

"That's great!" he replied before smirking, "hopefully, it would give me more of a challenge when we face off in the finals."

Oh, confident already?

"Just like the last time we faced each other?" Cynthia sniped. She gave her own smirk. "I distinctly remember winning that one."

She definitely did not enjoy seeing Red's face when he remembered. She did not take sadistic joy seeing her rival like that.

Nope. _Definitely not..._

 _..._

"Ha ha ha." Red's response was deadpan. "We'll see who's smiling when we go to the conference."

"We will see." Cynthia agreed readily enough. Her Pokemon are more than strong enough to handle anything in their path. 'However,' she reminded herself, 'this will be the first time I participated in anything as big as a championship competition. Even if I don't win, I should at least aim as high as I can.'

They spent the remaining time talking, ranging from the coming tournament to random things such. It was a sort of calming and serene scene that Cynthia silently enjoyed, especially when they both sat near the trunk of a tree, small snacks from their bags spread out neatly in the grass. All of their Pokemon ran around the field, playing, eating, and some even sleeping.

Sadly, all good things had to end and both departed once more.

XXX

Her journey to the Lily of the Valley Conference was scenic. From the ocean to the sky, there was activity everywhere. When she reached the actual island though, it was bustling like the organized chaos of the busiest cities. Fortunately, she managed to get by, signed up and given the nearest hotel that was available to trainers.

She placed her stuff in her hotel room, releasing a breath as she landed on the bed, her back hitting the soft mattress. Cynthia hummed in bliss. She never believed that such high-quality rooms were given to trainers, yet here she is.

'Well, this is the Lily of the Valley Conference,' Cynthia mused. 'It would make sense to provide trainers the best comfort available. It makes the entire thing seem even bigger.'

She looked at the six Pokeballs lying beside her at the bed. She smiled when she remembered the hard work all of her Pokemon did, honestly, the pride that she had for them couldn't even be put into words. Her head then turned to the window outside that showed an amazing view of the forests and man-made battlefields that spread throughout the island.

She came here rather early. Of course, that could be because of the excitement of participating in such a grand event. Yet, apparently a lot of people decided to be early too, judging by the large crowds that walk the streets. She couldn't blame them.

'I got a few days left,' Cynthia thought, 'I could probably explore the island. It'd be cool to see what kind of Pokemon is around.'

She felt all her muscles relax as the softness from the bed warmed up her entire body. She gave a small mew of pleasure. 'Mmmmmm.' Cynthia mused. 'Well, I _do_ have a few days. I could do it tomorrow.'

And with that, the great Cynthia lay utterly defeated by 5-star quality mattresses.

XXX

The first thing she explored was the town. Apparently, it was common for the villagers to see trainers around and they greeted her with a friendly demeanor that could even make Sharpedos feel soft and fluffy. It was quite a homely sight. She could see one or two markets running about, many of them selling souvenirs and Pokemon-related merchandise. It seems that they even exploit this as an opportunity to make money.

Cynthia gave a deadpan look before shrugging. If she lived here then she'd probably do the same thing.

She saw strangers and familiar faces alike. Some notable appearances being Flint and Volkner. They seem to be in happy spirits, both of them with wide smiles on their faces as they enjoy what the island has to offer. She has yet to see Red, but she wasn't worried. He'd show up when he was good and ready. Cynthia had no doubt.

She met some new faces as well. A sharply dressed trainer named Lucian introduced himself during one of her walks. He seemed like an interesting trainer and briefly wondered if she would fight him in the coming rounds.

A few more days passed and other than a short training session with her Pokemon, nothing exciting happened. The only thing that made her a bit tense was the buildup of anticipation and the fact that Red hasn't showed up yet.

She had half a mind to search, but decided to wait. He has _one_ more day, after all.

That wouldn't stop her from screaming at him when he shows up though.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she softly slammed into a small frame of a man. Cynthia blinked briefly before apologizing, "Sorry, mister. I didn't look where I was going."

"It's fine, it's fine." the obviously old man chuckled, the impressive white beard shaking. "Trainers being lost in thought is a common occurrence during the last few days."

"Still, I would like to apologize." Cynthia replied. It's common courtesy and her grandparents definitely wouldn't approve. "It was my mistake."

The man only chuckled more. "Well aren't you quite the lady. I swear they're getting younger everyday." He inspected her a bit closer. "What's your name?"

"Cynthia Shirona," she answered, "and you are?"

"Charles Goodshow."

"Well, it's nice to mee-" Cynthia paused. Her mind went blank for a second before asking instead, "e-excuse me, what did you say?"

"Charles Goodshow." the man gave a white, furry smile, "and it's nice meeting you too, Cynthia. Look for me in the crowd. I always like watching new trainers." The man gave a short wave before walking away.

Cynthia could only nod.

Damn! She just met the president of the Pokemon League! The man that helped start it all and she treated him so casually too! What did he think of her?! A disrespectful child that couldn't see what was in front?! Why her?

...and from what he said, he might be watching _her_ matches?!

'The stress! What is it with me today?!' she asked herself before sulking.

XXX

The opening ceremonies were a grand affair. Fireworks soared through the air, lighting the skies with colorful explosions. The loud cheers and the excited aura of the spectators were absolutely contagious. A large crowd of trainers was all in the center of the stadium, Cynthia among them. She could feel the nervousness and excitement. It was almost palpable.

Despite all of this, she subtly searched for the familiar charcoal black hair of her rival.

Then the lighting of the League Torch started. If anything, the loud cheers became even louder. Trainers and spectators alike cheered as the flames were lit and for a moment, she thought everyone would lose himself or herself in the excitement.

There was a brief inspirational speech from _the_ Charles Goodshow that she bumped into. She tried to find the closest place to hide in. When he ended it, everyone knew from the civilians in their seats to the trainers in the stadium.

The Lily of the Valley Conferences has officially begun!

XXX

Battles raged on throughout the island. The hundreds of trainers that arrived were dwindling down in an astoundingly quick fashion. Rounds were being initiated as quickly as they were finished. The 3-on-3 battles were intense and Cynthia was silently thankful for the extra time to train her Pokemon. She dominated her battles in quick, efficient strikes. Every battle was assured.

She defeated each of her opponents quickly. So quick, in fact, that she had ample amount of time to watch others do battle. Flint and Volkner, she believed would have no problem reaching the preliminaries. From what she's seen, they've been decimating their opponents almost as quickly as her. She briefly watched Lucian and his powerful Bronzong deliver a powerful blow to a poor trainer's Pokemon.

She took a mental note to watch out for that Bronzong.

Then she found the mystery man that she was searching for. Red in all his battling glory was currently dueling a man's Scyther with his Staraptor. While Scyther showed excellent speed, Staraptor gracefully dodged every hit thrown at him at such menacing speed that it reminded Cynthia of the moves that Red likes to use when Staraptor comes into play.

Apparently that's what he was planning to do anyway.

Red gave a wide grin before ordering, "Staraptor, Agility."

Cynthia smiled. While Red knew that using the same strategy over and over again is unwise, Cynthia could only guess that it was because he was facing off a new trainer that he was going to utilize this particular move. Scyther made for another attack, a brightly glowing Slash aimed straight for the blurry forms of Staraptor.

'Bad move.' Cynthia thought.

"Staraptor, now! Brave Bird along with Steel Wing!" Red barked and a millisecond later, a glowing streak was seen as it soared directly to the shocked Scyther. The amazing speed combined with the overwhelming power of Brave Bird and Steel Wing slammed into Scyther. That poor Pokemon didn't even have a chance.

Dust and debris formed in the field as the strike reached hard land. When it cleared Staraptor flew back up, seemingly undamaged while Scyther's form slumped to the dirt.

'Brave Bird's a move that is supposed to give the user recoil damage,' Cynthia mused. 'However, Red told me that continuously using such moves allowed a Pokemon to get some sort of resistance to it. If you consider that Staraptor began using similar attacks when it was a Starly, there's no wonder why Red wanted Brave Bird so badly.'

As expected of Red.

When the battle was over, her rival gave a wide smirk, "Did'ya see that Cynthia?" he asked. Apparently he noticed her presence straight away. That or it was the Pikachu perched atop his shoulder that informed him. "You feeling scared yet?"

"Hardly," Cynthia drawled. In all honesty, it only made her more excited to face him. "If that was anymore predictable than it already was, I would have been disappointed."

"Just wait and see," Red reminded, "if I lose, I want to at least bring you down with me."

"Then prepare to be disappointed." she replied. "I won't go down that easily."

"Good. I always like a challenge." His smile turned predatory before switching to the regular smirk that she was used to. "Did you finish all your matches?"

Cynthia nodded. "Did you?"

She looked around and considering the fact that Red didn't move at all and no trainers are nearby, she's going to assume that yes, yes he did.

Like she predicted, Red nodded. "Mhm, this was my last one."

She smiled, this time it was her smile that looked predatory, "Good."

The next thing Red knew, he was being dragged by Cynthia to the nearest Pokemon Center. "Uh, Cynthia what are you doing?"

"Hm?" Cynthia hummed before giving a small smirk. "Punishment. You'll know when we get there."

One walk later with a dragged-against-his-will trainer in tow and Cynthia finally reached the familiar, air-conditioned environment known as the Pokemon Center. She dumped Red's body at the nearest table before leaving and grabbing some food available.

When she finally arrived, placing both of their trays at their respective side, she knew exactly what to say.

"So Red, can you please explain why it took you so long to join the conference?"

He gulped.

XXX

The preliminaries were next and while she had an easier time during the screening rounds, it became a lot more difficult here. If the last round was to gather the 64 strongest trainers, then it certainly was effective. The battles were tough, each one challenging her and sometimes pushed her to her very limits. It wasn't just her either.

Volkner was knocked out in the first round, a particularly experienced veteran defeating him. He at least didn't go down without a fight. Like a flash of lightning, he went out with a bang, the trainer losing two of his Pokemon and heavily injuring one before Volkner was finally defeated.

Flint blazed through the competition. Any attempts at washing him away were met with fierce resistance. However, the trainer that Cynthia watched out for, Lucian battled Flint tooth and nail. It was brutal, both trainers weren't backing down and neither were their Pokemon. Despite his best efforts, Flint lost at the second round against the sharp-dressed trainer. That victory was short-lived, however, as Lucian lost on the third round.

Red faced off against veterans in his first, second, and third match. Each one was a close call, every fight leading to their last Pokemon. He used everything in his arsenal from powerful combos to utilizing the field to his advantage. Red's battles were naturally brutal, but the battles in the preliminaries were on a whole other level. Fortunately for him (and her), he came out on top.

That just leaves the Top Eight.

XXX

'...And it seems we're going to fight each other first.' Cynthia chuckled internally. Above her, the screen showed the results of the shuffle. Both pictures stood out proudly and were connected to show both combatants. The first round would be Cynthia vs. Red, something that they both didn't expect.

Now here they are, each one at the opposite side. Their bodies exposed to the cheering crowd, yet that was only a brief thought in both of their minds. To them, it was just Red and Cynthia. It was a battle both wanted and it seems like Arceus himself granted it. Something they desired and trained for. All the battles they've had before lack to what they think is their greatest challenge yet. This sense of anticipation they both feel is something intimately familiar to many.

It was the feeling of facing off against your rival.

"In the red side, we have Cynthia Shirona of Celestic Town! In the green, we have Red Satoshi, also of Celestic Town! Are the trainers ready?" Both nod. "Then begin!"

X

"Hello there, Pokemon TV! I am John!"

"And I am Rob! Welcome to the long awaited Sinnoh Semi-Finals!"

"That's right! As of this moment we've got the top eight trainers facing off against each other for the chance of battling the champion! Rob, who's battling right now?"

"Right now, we've got an interesting match up! Two trainers from Celestic Town and let me tell you, they're one of the youngest I've seen get this far in any League!"

"Really? Who exactly are these trainers, Rob!?"

"Red Satoshi and Cynthia Shirona! Two underdogs of this competition. Have you seen the reports, John?! A lot is riding in just one battle! Not only did they come from the same town, they both started their journeys at the exact same time! Can you believe this, John?!"

"Golly! It seems that for these two rivals, it's personal!"

"Look, John, they're sending out their Pokemon! Oh my, what interesting choices!"

X

"Come on out, Riolu!"

"Buizel."

The battle started without further notice. Even at the beginning of the match, the battle was tense. From Aqua Jets to Force Palms both sides pushed with all there worth. None are giving an inch, the fast reaction of Riolu stopping all of Buizel's advances. Already, Red transitioned to a different strategy. Dust screened the entire field as Sonic Booms blasted the field. The large impacts blasted the dust upwards, cloaking both Riolu and Buizel.

'What are you trying to pull, Red?' Cynthia frowned before widening her eyes as a powerful Aqua Jet collided with Riolu. A direct hit! The maelstrom of water stopped, the water-type landing next to Riolu. Already, Cynthia could see Buizel prepare for combat.

"Ice Punch!" he announced quickly and Cynthia could already see cold energy form around Buizel's fist.

"Oh no you don't!" Cynthia responded quickly, "Counter it then Electric Punch!"

Buizel's fist moved, the swirling cold aiming for the fighting-type. Riolu's reaction speed surpassed anything Red expected. In milliseconds, the Ice Punch disappeared as Buizel was hit by waves of physical attacks. With lightning quick moves that would make Machamps jealous, the literal wave became an uncontrollable storm as Thunder Punches were slammed directly into Buizel, both of Riolu's hands holding cackling electricity.

The battle developed into a brutal brawl with Buizel trying to create distance but Riolu denying all possibilities of escape. Cynthia smiled. 'Come into my parlor, said the Spinarak to the Caterpie. Face it, Red. You're stuck.'

Red didn't seem too worried. He only smiled, "It takes more than that to beat me Cynthia. Buizel Sonic Boom then Counter Shield!"

Cynthia silently cursed as more dust blew into the air. Buizel using a few precious seconds escaped Riolu's grasp. The fighting type rushed forward, a Thunder Punch already prepped. That turned out to be a mistake as a chaotic swirl of water slammed into Riolu, pushing the young fighting type away.

She gave a wary look at the Counter Shield before turning to Red. "It seems you've perfected that particular technique."

"Saved it just for you, Cynthia." Red answered back. "Impressed?"

"It'll take more than a fancy barrier to impress me, Red." Cynthia responded. Internally, she was both praising and cursing Red for a brilliant move. Riolu's move set is completely physical. With Buizel's Counter Shield, Riolu can't move close enough to do any real damage.

'I'll have to wait it out.' Cynthia thought. Buizel can't keep Counter Shield up forever. If he keeps going he'll get too dizzy to counter any of her attacks. That's the perfect time to finish him.

Red seemed to have the same thought. Almost immediately, the swirling stopped and an Aqua Jet took form. It soared up high before diving towards Riolu. The attack collided and a new conflict rose once again. Already, Buizel was backing off, Riolu giving chase.

It was like a game of Persian and Pikachu. Riolu gave chase intent of finishing off what he's started. Buizel seemed to be particularly aggressive; using hit and run tactics to tire Riolu down for one final assault. Fortunately for Cynthia, Riolu's training paid off and only took minimum damage with every barrage of attacks.

Again, they switched a new plan. Multiple Sonic Booms blasted off Buizel and aimed straight for Riolu. Red was keeping his distance.

'Like that's going to stop Riolu.' Cynthia internally smiled. "Riolu, get close!"

Riolu dodged his way forward. He was an unstoppable train, running, blocking, and jumping his way to his destination. Before Red could respond accordingly, Riolu was already next to Buizel.

"Ice Punch!"

"Counter then Thunder Punch!"

Buizel can fight. That was something Cynthia had no doubt is true. However, when faced against a fighting-type on a close-combat brawl, the odds of winning are already stacked against them. Along with multiple direct Thunder Punches, his odds became a little lower.

"Buizel is unable to battle! Choose your next Pokemon!"

"Impressive," Red acknowledged, "Riolu is stronger than I remember."

"We've trained." Cynthia grinned. "Something that you obviously didn't."

"Ouch." Red feigned a wince. Instantly, a Pokeball was up in the air. "Monferno you're up."

"Riolu, ready yourself." Cynthia ordered, watching as the dual type Pokemon prepare a flamethrower. "Dodge it and get close!"

Riolu moved, jumping and leaping over the released flamethrower. The torrent of overwhelming fire and heat washed over the battlefield, Monferno's power heating up the battlefield. Cynthia widened her eyes as Riolu winced at the burnt and hot ground. He's trying to get the field advantage. Cynthia internally scoffed. Riolu could handle some heat until it cools off.

Riolu reached the fire-type a few moments later. Force Palms instantly blocked as a barrage of Mach Punches pummeled Riolu. The fresh energy of the Playful Pokemon struck the tired Riolu with all of his might. The aura Pokemon retreated slightly, as he attempted to Counter against Monferno's constant badgering.

"Stop beating around the bush, Monferno. Let's finish him off with a Mach Punch."

The glowing fist was like a blur, the attack slamming into Riolu's arms as he attempted to block it. Riolu was on his last breath, his body laboring to stay up. Cynthia stared at the determined eyes of her Pokemon, both of them nodding at the same time. "Riolu, Reversal!"

"Dodge it right _now_ , Monferno!"

It was too late; Riolu held a strong grip on the fire-type before picking the poor Pokemon up and used both the kinetic force and the fighting energy in the move to give Monferno an enormous amount of damage.

Red actually grimaced. With the amount of punishment that Riolu endured, that attack had the potential of knocking out another of his Pokemon. That would give her rival a large disadvantage. Even if it didn't, Cynthia could take out his second Pokemon easily as it would no doubt be close to fainting.

 _ **SMACK!**_

A mighty Mach Punch skyrocketed, the uppercut literally making Riolu fly to the sky before landing with a small _thump._

"Riolu is unable to battle! Choose your next Pokemon!"

"Togetic!"

The battle continued. There's no more time for errors. Both sides battled like their very lives were on the line. They used everything they could think of, Togetic literally crashing into the severely injured Monferno with both Psychic and Zen Headbutt. It rained rocks as Togetic's Ancient Power decimated the very landscape.

Monferno _barely_ limped his way out of the attacks. Flamethrowers spouting out of his mouth, both trainer and Pokemon hoping for a lucky shot. Cynthia was fighting the battle with a brutal efficiency that Red would have praised if he weren't the target of her ire.

"Dig, Monferno."

The Playful Pokemon went underground immediately, using the very battlefield as a shelter from the massive earth hail.

"You can't stay there forever, Red." Cynthia called out, keeping a wary eye on the ground. He's got a plan. He always does.

Just as if he read her mind, part of the floor immediately burst open and an astonishing flame geyser burned its way to the sky. Togetic was nearby, his lithe body taking a brunt of the heat pooling off of the massive attack.

Then a moving firestorm sprouted upwards, a gigantic spinning wheel of burning fury soared its way to Togetic.

 _ **KABOOOM!**_

Cynthia cursed. 'Monferno's Blaze activated.'

The infernal storm didn't end yet as both Pokemon crashed to the ground, the fire-type literally covering both of them with searing flames before smacking Togetic _hard_ into the ground. There was a loud _smack_ that echoed throughout the awe-struck arena as Togetic's slumped form rammed into the scarred ground like a falling star.

Monferno bellowed in triumph.

"Togetic is unable to battle! Choose your next Pokemon!"

'I have to end the threat!' Cynthia hissed, "Milotic!"

Monferno rushed forward, a literal aura of chaotic fire in tow. His fists glowed, the Mach Punch lighting up with condensed energy. It launched like a jet, the punch moving towards Milotic with undisguised power.

A second later, water washed over the fire-type, the pressurized Hydro Pump blowing the Monferno away. The Blaze-induced Pokemon skidded through the ground. An average Monferno would have fainted by now.

It was clear to everyone this is _not_ an average Monferno.

With a defiant cry, it rose up. It crossed the distance in a flash, the Pokémon's gigantic Flame Wheel unexpectedly plowing through the shocked Milotic. Cynthia and the crowd reacted accordingly. All fell silent.

There was the familiar sound of a body hitting the ground.

"Monferno is unable to battle! Choose your next Pokemon!"

'He finally succumbed to his wounds.' Cynthia concluded, slightly glaring at Red, 'though it was very nice of him to leave that small parting gift before he fainted.'

While it didn't do a lot of damage, the Blaze boosted Flame Wheel did more than she wanted.

"Grotle!"

"Leech Seed!"

"Freeze the floor!"

Both attacks were launched; Milotic flinched at the energy-absorbing move while Grotle steadied himself from the new environment.

Cynthia smiled at the unbalanced grass type. She personally trained Milotic to maneuver around ice; the Pokémon's help being a major help during the ice-type gym battle. From seeing Red's Grotle unsure movements, she could guess that her rival didn't teach Grotle how to move on different environments. 'Good,' Cynthia internally smirked, 'an easy win for me.'

Milotic slithered, showing a type of grace that is hypnotizing. The water Pokemon charged a powerful Ice Beam, releasing the freezing cold towards Grotle. Grotle was unable to move, which only made it worse for the grass starter as the anticipation and the inevitable pain raced its way to its target.

Ice particles cloaked the hit as the explosion blew the dust outward.

Milotic flinched as the familiar pain of Leech Seed sapped the Pokemon's strength. When it cleared, Cynthia's jaws dropped as Grotle stood there still standing strong.

What?!

"Energy Ball!"

Cynthia shook out of her stupor as she saw Milotic endure a barrage of Energy Balls. "Milotic, get close!"

Milotic dodged the wave of Energy Balls; determination flared in her eyes as the water Pokemon's body shined with glittering lights. Mirror Coat deflected the grass moves, the attacks deviating from its natural course. Milotic's serpent-like grace reached the Grotle in no time and before Red could react, an Ice Beam pierced through the grass type's defenses.

Despite this, a cloud of smoke appeared as Grotle initiated Substitute to hopefully mitigate the damage.

'So that's how Red protected his Pokemon,' Cynthia realized. 'If Grotle can't move, he must've used Substitute. Still, that could only work for so long...'

Already, she could see the result, as Grotle's durable skin couldn't do anything against the cold, ruthless, pursuit of Milotic. Just like she predicted, Grotle succumbed to his wounds.

"Gliscor."

Already, the advantage of flying Pokemon became obvious. With Gliscor's acrobatic freedom, he was capable of dodging while sending as much pain to Milotic as possible. In an instant, Stone Edge descended upon the battlefield, the falling rocks crushing the ice coating like a meteor hitting Earth. Cynthia clucked her tongue, as Milotic's movements were limited.

Potshots and barrages rained like an iron fist. Mirror Coat was utilized repeatedly in hopes of mitigating the damage.

Red planned for that. With the combined damage of Monferno and Grotle on Milotic, the speedy dive of Giga Impact ended the battling streak of Milotic.

"Glaceon!"

The recharge of Giga Impact aided Cynthia, quickly taking advantage of Gliscor's weakness and gave a critical Ice Beam on the shocked Gliscor. A blue screen of dust was formed when it reached impact. Glaceon was already moving, Quick Attacks dodging the hurtled rocks before multiple Shadow Balls soared towards the injured Gliscor.

Unfortunately the part ground type Pokemon, glided from harm's way before giving chase. X-Scissors glowed eerily while Gliscor sporadically dodged the Shadow Balls sent his way.

Gliscor finally reached his intended target, however Cynthia already reacted. 'Take an Ice Beam in the face, Gliscor.' Cynthia hummed cheerfully. 'Let's see you get up from that.'

Gliscor didn't get up.

"Staraptor!"

Cynthia frowned as the flying Pokemon moved at a speed no Staraptor should not be able to go. Red trained his Staraptor well, specializing in both speed and attack but lacked when it came to defense. However, Red gave his own solution by training the bird's evasive skills. If she could somehow hit it, she would have a chance of winning.

"Agility."

Staraptor's form was a _blur._ Already, the flying-type was behind the surprised Glaceon, a Steel Wing clashing with the ice-type's lithe form. Before Glaceon could recover, Staraptor kept up his momentum. Red was hoping for Staraptor to continue attacking her Pokemon in hopes of it not being able to fight back or else face an opening his Pokemon can take.

It's a cheap move, but she can't fault its effectiveness.

Already, Staraptor's Close Combat blew Glaceon's breath away. Then it already transitioned to an explosive Brave Bird until finishing Glaceon off with a joint Close Combat-Steel Wing combo.

Glaceon literally had no chance.

"Roserade!"

Cynthia would just have to poison him. Roserade spammed Toxic. With the large amount utilized, not even Staraptor with its skill could escape. A purple mist formed as soon as a lucky shot landed on the flying type. Poison energy radiated outside of Staraptor before continuing his course.

"Agility."

The blur now became almost impossible to see, as the Agility became a full-blown Brave Bird. Cynthia narrowed her eyes as she saw Steel Wing mixed in as well. Roserade wont be able to dodge the impossible quick move.

Well, as some people say, fight fire with fire. If Roserade's going down, then she's going down with a bang, "Giga Impact."

Both powerful attacks clashed, a fusion of energy emitted from the collision. The impact of both attacks seemed even. Cynthia held her breath. Is that Giga Impact actually strong enough to hold against Staraptor's Brave Bird?

Nope.

All of her hopes were crushed in an instant as Staraptor's form pierced through. The glowing energy of his attack was made apparent as it rammed the poor grass type aside.

"Gabite!"

Her strongest Pokemon was released, the dragon giving a challenging roar before readying herself for battle. Staraptor dived, Steel Wing activated. To Cynthia, that was nothing but a minor setback. Whenever she battled with Gabite, she felt connected. She felt unstoppable.

"Dig, Gabite!" Cynthia commanded, her mind already thinking of several ways to counter. Staraptor crushed the ground that originally had Gabite, a billowing sandstorm developing in the bird Pokemon's wake.

 _ **SCHLLLIIIIIINK!**_

Staraptor was tossed to the ground, a Dragon Claw slashing the bird's meager defense like tissue paper. To make matters even better, Staraptor cawed in agony as the Toxic took its effect on the poor flying-type.

It still stood up. It flew quickly, even with the damage dealt it held a speed that even Cynthia admired. 'Truly a stubborn Pokemon,' Cynthia smirked. 'Too bad that Gabite can be stubborn as well.'

A Flamethrower skyrocketed, the burning inferno heading directly for Staraptor.

"Agility."

The bird Pokemon went even faster, diving quickly, barely missing the overpowered Flamethrower before closing distance with Gabite. Close Combat was initiated from Staraptor, yet Gabite held his own. Dragon Claws blocked most of the fusillade with expert movements. Staraptor went back up in the sky. Close Combat against Gabite was suicide.

Cynthia smirked before pointing up at the sky. Let's see Staraptor dodge this. "Draco Meteor!"

Like fireworks, a ball of draconic energy shot up. Red's eyes widened before it sharpened. A single shard of that attack could potentially knock out Staraptor. Cynthia was betting on that.

"Agility!"

Both moves reached its climax; the bird gave a final burst of speed while tiny missiles rocketed the sky. The crowd oohed in awe, the bright energy showed off with impressive power. Not a lot of Pokemon could defend against such ferocity. Which is why Staraptor is going to dodge it all instead.

Right, left, dive, the flying Pokemon moved sporadically, his breath laboring like from such activities. However, his evasive skills are finally showing itself, the Pokemon gliding with little problem. Staraptor might actually make it!

'Well I can't have that.' Cynthia mused. "Another Draco Meteor!"

Red almost gawked.

His Pokemon _did_ gawk.

Another explosive attack littered the sky. The literal mini-missiles descended, several slamming into the poor flying-type.

It was done.

Cynthia almost cheered before glancing at the Pikachu that ran towards the battlefield. Her face became impassive as she stared down at the electric mouse. She still has one more obstacle left. Arguably Red's most skilled and experienced combatant, Pikachu could potentially give her rival the win that he needed to continue to the finals.

"You ready, Cynthia?" Red asked, a cheery smile bloomed on his face. "Because I am. Pikachu's going to give me the win I need."

"I beg to differ," Cynthia instinctively retorted. Their conversations during battle are becoming a habit. "I believe the title of Champion has _my_ name on it."

Red's smile grew wider. "Well, I guess it's time for the finale. Let's not keep them waiting, Cynthia!"

Both nodded, signaling the start of the battle.

"Iron Tail!"

"Dragon Claw!"

In a blink of an eye, unbreakable iron met dragon-powered claws as combat resumed. Both Pokemon were skilled in their respective styles. Pikachu can _move_ , he is from one spot to another in a flash, moving with agility that no Pikachu should possess. His strikes were hard as diamond and his power hits like a full-powered train.

It was amazing to watch. The experience of that Pikachu itself is so obvious to even the newest of trainers. It gave you the feeling that no Pokemon could match it blow to blow.

Gabite, albeit barely, did.

Using her monstrous strength gifted to her evolution line, Gabite used her natural power to hold her own. When compared to the electric mouse, she looked like a towering giant. Little did everyone know that Pikachu was the actual giant in this scenario.

Gabite was the small hero, the one that needed to slay the awakened dragon known as Pikachu.

How ironic.

Blow to blow, Gabite used everything in her repertoire. The dragon-type had several close calls, only the years of training she endured, allowing her to keep up.

To be honest, Gabite must be something else.

Though Cynthia knew that if she didn't figure something out soon, Gabite will fall. The only reason why she's won so many matches against Red were the strategies that would surprise both Pokemon and rival enough for her to give a finishing blow. Luckily, she had a few planned for this occasion.

An enormous sandstorm billowed as an Iron Tail crushed the landscape as if made of cardboard. Gabite saved herself by digging away before it could do massive damage.

Pikachu didn't stop.

With another Iron Tail, he stabbed it deep into the ground, the electric mouse giving a cry of triumph before a mighty Thunderbolt crushed the literal earth itself. The attack revealed the dragon Pokemon, scratches and bruises littered its skin as it picked itself off the floor. Cynthia winced at the damage. It's now or never.

"Get close!"

"Defend, Pikachu!"

Immediately a flurry of Dragon Claws intercepted a salvo of Iron Tails. Their collisions emitted bright flashes of power as both Pokemon's powerful strikes reacted to one another.

"Gabite, Draco Meteor! Straight at Pikachu!"

Both Red and Pikachu widened their eyes at the statement. Even the crowd collectively gasped. There was a reason why Draco Meteor was aimed up high. Gravity made it useless in any other way. However, with the distance between them, Cynthia believed that the explosion would be so close that the damage would be maximized to its fullest potential when it hit Pikachu.

It was all thanks to the trust of her trainer that Gabite obeyed without question. The dragon's mouth formed the mighty power of the move before launching _straight_ at Pikachu.

No matter how strong Pikachu is, Draco Meteor is an _immensely_ powerful attack. With shards of its power capable of heavily damaging an enemy, if all of it struck, nothing could keep battling after that.

If you take into account Pikachu's fragile base, even if Red's electric-type is sturdier than any other of it's kind, there is no way it would stay up.

The focused and collected strike gave an explosion that nearly surrounded the entire stadium.

There was silence.

The smoke cleared.

 _Impossible._

Pikachu stood, bruised, battered, and most certainly injured.

It _didn't_ faint?!

Cynthia and Gabite gawked.

The crowd gawked.

"Pikachu, Iron Tail!"

Taking advantage of their shock, Pikachu moved, the electric-type's impressive speed reduced to slower levels, yet good enough to cross the distance before they could react.

The battle went downhill from there. With Gabite receiving massive damage from Pikachu's persistent attacks combined with Gabite literally using most of her energy on the Draco Meteor and from the battle against Staraptor, Cynthia had no choice but go defensive. She knew the results no matter how much she resisted.

By the time Pikachu fell onto his knees, it was already too late.

"Gabite is unable to battle! That means Red Satoshi from Celestic Town is the winner!"

XXX

"Did you see that Rob?!"

"I-I sure did, John! What an amazing battle!"

"I never expected two _11-year old_ trainers to battle like that! How about you, Rob?"

"Same here, John! Golly, did you see their Pokemon? They're something else, John, something else!"

"I think it's safe to say that these two have amazing potential, eh Rob?"

"I'd be sure to keep my eyes on those trainers, that's for sure!"

"And I'm sure plenty of others will too! I mean have you seen that Gabite! Such power!"

"Don't forget Pikachu! I've never seen such a tough Pokemon!"

"Let's go through some of some of their fabulous plays, Rob! First off, let's look at Riolu versus Buize-"

 _Click._

Cynthia sighed as she turned off the recorded video of her match.

She was watching it on one of the PCs the Pokemon Center. After seeing the battle in a spectator's perspective, she spotted several mistakes that she could have perfected. No battle was perfect, but watching every single one of her Pokemon get beaten was not entertaining despite what the commentators say.

The entire conference was over. Red didn't win, but he was pretty damn close. Top four for his first time? Impressive. The only reason why he lost was because of the other trainers' experiences and powerful Pokemon. Red's Pikachu gave most of them a beating, but the rest barely equaled their level. Cynthia was confident that with a few more years, Red could probably challenge the Elite Four soon.

Red didn't seem that disappointed as well. He seemed more amused of being in the Top Four than anything else. Cynthia was confused as to why. He only responded with a vague, _"It's an inside joke."_

Cynthia shrugged at the thought before moving her way towards the docks. Both promised to meet there before departing to their separate journeys once more.

She didn't know what to do after the conference. All of her hard work centered on winning it and thinking about anything else only made her mind go blank. She suppose she could train for a few more years before attending again. She might actually have a chance by then. Maybe even get strong enough to face the Elite Four.

She doubted it. They're one of the strongest trainers for a reason.

She could hope though.

"Cynthia!" a familiar voice cried. She instinctively turned towards the source. A smile bloomed when she saw Red, his familiar Pikachu by his side. "There you are. Almost thought you wouldn't show up." Red gave a small grin, when he was finally within distance.

"Do you really think so low of me," Cynthia asked rhetorically. "If I said I'm going then I'm going."

Red chuckled, his hands up in surrender. He eventually put his hands down, his face becoming more serious. "Anyways, the reason I asked to meet you here was to ask you what you're going to do now?"

Good question.

"I don't know." Cynthia shrugged. "I need to reach my goal. So I guess...training?"

She was a bit uncertain on that part. While training was fun and she would gladly do it everyday and she _does_ , she usually has other things to occupy her when she was done. She explored a lot of Sinnoh already too so there's not much when it comes to finding something new.

"How boring of you, Cynthia," her rival teased. Well, it's not like she planned this far ahead. The black-haired trainer's face looked thoughtful. "Why not go to other regions." Red casually suggested.

"Other regions?" she asked. Cynthia silently pondered the option. That would be cool. She'd be able to get new Pokemon, meet new trainers, and fight other gym leaders.

"Sure," Red grinned. "That's what I was planning on doing. There's got to be some cool Pokemon running around that Sinnoh doesn't offer. There's also the fact that they have their own conferences as well."

Cynthia hummed in thought. "I guess that would be cool." She wouldn't mind traveling to new places. That's one of the perks about being a Pokemon trainer. Though that would beg the question which one she would go to first.

She hadn't really thought about the other regions. She only had a passing familiarity with them. Cynthia was so bent on being the Sinnoh Champion that she never really thought about the other places outside of her native home. She flushed in embarrassment at her foolishness. Though judging from Red's knowledge he seemed to be more familiar with this topic.

"Any suggestions on where to go?" Cynthia asked.

Red beamed before going off on several notable places in each region. "Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Unova, and Kalos all of have a league so if you want to try facing a few, they're the regions to go. I heard that the Pokemon League is trying to get the Alola region to join, but that's up for debate right now. Though I heard that there's a lot of things to do on Alola..."

He kept going too. Cynthia didn't mind, but the large amount of information doesn't exactly help her at all.

"Where are _you_ going?" Cynthia questioned instead. The constant flood of all this information made her head dizzy.

"Kanto," he responded immediately, he gave a nostalgic smile. "It's a great place. I used to live there before moving to Celestic Town. I thought that I should visit for a while after spending a lot of time in Sinnoh."

Cynthia widened her eyes at that tidbit of information. "You lived in Kanto?"

She didn't expect that of all things.

Red nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, had to move though. Better opportunity in Sinnoh and someone offered my mom a better job with lodging." Her rival gave a secret smile after that.

"But why in Celestic Town?" While Cynthia will always be proud of her home, there isn't much there compared to an actual city.

"Like I said, there was an offer that my mom couldn't resist." he repeated. He gave a small grin before shrugging, "Before you ask, I don't know much about it myself."

She sighed. Back to the original topic then. "So I should go to Kanto then?" At least she'll have a familiar face there.

Red pondered for a moment before shrugging. "If you want. I'm not forcing you, Cynthia. I'm just giving you options."

"I know but I trust your judgment." she replied truthfully. While, they could trade a jab or two during battle, she believed in her friend's words. He was by far the most intelligent and mature out of all her rivals. Whatever he believed is the best for her; she had no doubt that it is probably good for her.

He gave a sincere smile before scratching his head. "I guess you could go to Hoenn. There are many places there that could challenge you. I'm not meaning gym leaders either."

Cynthia raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Mhm" Red hummed. "You'll know what I mean when you get there. Of course, Hoenn is home to some pretty strong Pokémon and there are some trainers there that could possibly beat you."

"Is that a challenge?" Cynthia asked. She sort of expected something similar when this was brought up.

"There's always someone better than you, Cynthia" he retaliated. "No matter what, someone will surpass you in anything you do."

"And what happens when you're at the top?" Cynthia retorted. There's a finite amount of people in this world. When you surpass every challenge and every trainer that is better than you than the saying is moot.

Red didn't even pause to contemplate, he just moved closer to her face, a goofy smile plastered on his face, "Let me repeat myself, someone _will_ surpass you. You don't stay in the top forever."

She gave a challenging glare, "We'll test that theory. No one will surpass me when I become champion."

"I doubt that. It's my job to keep you're head in the ground."

"When was it _your_ job?"

"Since we became rivals obviously."

Cynthia gave a small smirk, "Fine. I'm going to Hoenn then. There's challenges there, right?" At Red's nods, she continued, "Then I'll surpass them. I can't wait to see your face when I show you."

"Speaking of seeing faces, I was wondering if we want to exchange numbers." Red responded. Both blinked when they realized that they've never thought of getting each other's numbers. Cynthia sighed. They can be so stupid sometimes.

With their numbers exchanged, they moved closer to the port. Civilians and trainers alike boarded the boats.

"Don't forget to call me in Hoenn." Red grinned.

"Like I would forget you, Red." Cynthia responded. It's the truth. Wherever she went in Sinnoh, she always anticipated his appearance. "I'll miss my rival, after all."

"I'll be sure to call often then." Red gave a small smile. "I can't wait to go back to Kanto. I'll update you on my adventures."

"Be sure you will." Cynthia gave a playful shove. "Though I bet your travels won't nearly be as interesting as mine."

"Do you truly want to bet on that?" Red asked. There was a gleam in his eyes she couldn't decipher. "Because I'll let you know right now, a lot of weird things happen whenever I'm around."

That sounds like a story she would like to hear. Before she could respond, a loud horn trumpeted. "Damn. That's my ship. I got to go." she slightly grimaced. She wanted to talk with him a bit more before they leave.

"That's okay." Judging from Red's expression, he too was a bit disappointed at cutting their time short. "Just be sure to remember to call me."

"I will." she nodded vigorously. She moved a step towards the boat, her shoes clanking on the metal bridge. "Goodbye Red."

"See ya," Red waved.

Cynthia entered the ship.

XXX

 **Things you might want to know.**

 **1\. This is a Time Travel Fic. That's not Red. That's Ash. He's named differently because there's a younger Ash out there. Got it? Why is he named Red Satoshi? Well, imagine if I named him Shadow Aura Silver. Which one would you prefer? Exactly.**

 **2\. Red's battle with the gym leader was needed to show Cynthia Red's battling style. It helps move plot along. I will only summarize battles unless it's an extremely important battle. I want the battles to not be boring.**

 **3\. Red doesn't have the same Pokemon. Ex: Pikachu is Pikachu from his time. Turtwig isn't the same Turtwig. Young Ash takes that honor. Pokemon don't evolve quickly. It doesn't take one year to evolve Pseudo-Legendaries for example**

 **4\. Ash actually grows.**

 **5\. Some gym leaders are different. Reason: Some of them are probably the average current age of both Cynthia and Red. They can't be gym leaders yet.**

 **6\. This is third-person limited. You are looking at the childish thoughts of 10-year old kids. It will be biased.**

 **If you have any questions, make sure you PM me.**

 **I hoped you enjoyed my story.**

 **More updates soon.**


End file.
